Package



Oct. 8, 1940. s. PRICE ET AL 2,217,455

- PACKAGE Filed Nov. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1940.

5. PRICE ET AL 2,217,455

PACKAGE Filed Nov. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k I F/a illil? wvewrons 5. PRICE 32 6: 520A Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE Delaware Application November 20, 1937, Serial No. 175,618

3 Claims.-

This invention relates to packages or containers for irregularly shaped articles, and more particularly to a one piece enclosing container for shipping handset telephones. I

An object of this invention is the provision of an enclosing container for irregularly shaped articles which is economical to manufacture and eflicient in service, whereby such shaped articles may be readily mounted therein or removed therefrom and areheld against any appreciable harmful displacement within the container during handling, shipment, or storage.

In accordance with the above object, the present invention contemplates in one embodiment thereof a molded cellulosic one piece enclosing container, particularly adapted for holding handset telephones during handling, shipment or storage, comprising two hollow sections united along one edge by'a molded cellulosic hinge strip integral with the sections, the sections each having substantially a right triangular cross-section whereby when brought together, by flexing the integral hinge strip, they produce an enclosed substantially rectangular receptacle, the walls of the container being substantially the same thickness throughout with the inside contour the same as the outside contour and the walls having externally hollow reentrant portions providing contact areas for fixing the positions of the receiver and transmitter unit and stand in the container whereby the handset telephone may be readily mounted in or removed from the container and during handling, shipping, or storage will be held against any appreciable harmful displacement therein.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosing container embodying the features of this invention and particularly adapted for holding a handset telephone of the type comprising a receiver and transmitter unit and a stand;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 2 in an open position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 showing another form of enclosing container for holding a difierent type of handset telephone than that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 5 in an open position. I

Referring now to the drawings in detail, particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated, in the form of an enclosing container 10, for a particular type of handset telephone, comprising a receiver II and a transmitter [2 carried atopposite ends of a handle 13 (Figs. 3 and 4), the whole forming a unit which is connected to a stand 14 by a conductor cord (not shown), the stand having an oval shaped base 15. The container III isformed in one piece from molded cellulose or pulp material and includes two hollow sections l8 and I9 integrally united by an intermediate molded pulp hinge strip 20, which is scored, as indicated at 2! (Fig. 4), at each side of the strip to provide greater flexibility and durability to the hinge. The walls of the container III are molded with a substantially uniform thickness throughout with the inside contour being the same as the outside contour. The sections l8 and 19 each have a substantially right triangular cross-section so that when brought together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, by flexing the integral hinge strip 20, an enclosed substantially rectangular container is produced, the sections abutting along the diagonal line 24. Along their meeting edges, the sections I8 and I9 are turned outwardly and provided with tongues and grooves 25 and 26, respectively, which serve to maintain the sections in. alignment upon being brought together by flexing the integral hinge strip 20.

Formed in a bottom wall 21 of the section 19 are two arcuateembossments 28 arranged to contact the periphery of the stand base I5 along two spaced portions at opposite ends upon the stand being mounted in the container, a third portion of the periphery of the base intermediate the portions contacted by the embossments 28 contacting with a vertical side wall 3| (Fig. 3-) of the section. The section l8 at the juncture between its upper and side walls 32 and 33, respectively, is formed with two spaced embossments 34 which, when the container is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, contact with spaced upper cradle portions 35 of the telephone stand which serve to support the handle l3 of the receiver ments 34 with the upper portions of the stand no appreciable harmful displacement of the stand within the container will occur after the sections have been secured from relative movements about tact side areas of the receiver and transmitter and a similar embossment 38 intermediate the embossments 38, which contacts a side area of the handle when the section I8 is moved about the hinge strip 20 upon closing the container. The disposition of the several embossments upon each of the sections l8 and I9 and the distance between the inner surfaces of the side walls 3| and 33 of the sections are such that upon placing the telephone stand l4 upon the bottom wall 21 of the section 18, and positioning the telephone handle upon the embossment 31, all as shown in Fig. 4,. and then bringing the section l8 into closing relation with the section 19, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the telephone stand and receiver and transmitter unit will be held out of contact with each other in fixed positions in the container and upon the hinged container sections being secured from relative movement for shipping the parts contained therein will be securely held against any appreciable harmful displacement therein during handling, shipping, or storage.

A suitable number of reinforcing ribs or embossments 40 are formed in the container sections 18 and I9 to provide a desired rigidity to the structure.

In Figs. 5 and 6, another form of molded pulp container 4| is illustrated for shipping a different type of handset telephone than that disclosed in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. The handset telephone which is shown in broken outline in Figs. 5 and 6 differs mainly from that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, in the shape of its stand 44, which has a rectangular shaped base instead of an oval shaped base, and further that cradle portions 46, which support the handle of the receiver and transmitter unit when the telephone is ready for use, extend at right angles to the longer dimension of the base instead of parallel thereto, as in the first described handset telephone. The greater area of the base 45 of the last described handset telephone and the arrangement of the cradle portions 46 on the stand 44, as compared to that of the first described handset ,telephone necessitate a different form of shipping handset stand 44 from displacement in the container when the section 41 is moved about its hinge strip 54 upon closing the container, as shown in Fig. 5. The long arms of the L-shaped embossments 53 extend over and into locking engagement with opposite upper longitudinal edges of the base 45, as. indicated at 55 (Fig. 5) when the container is closed, and the short arms of the embossments similarly engage opposite corners, as indicated at 51 (Fig. 6), of one vertical end wall of the base, the opposite end wall of the base contacting with an end wall 58 of the container section 48.

For supporting and positioning the handset receiver and transmitter unit, indicated at 59, the side wall 52 of the container section 48 is formed with two externally hollow reentrant portions or embossments 60 upon which the receiver and transmitter portions are supported while a third embossment Gl' formed in the side wall SI of the container section 41 contacts the handset handle intermediate the receiver and transmitter portions when the section 41 is moved about the hinge strip 54 upon closing the container, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Before moving the section 41 to its closed position with the handset receiver and transmitter unit supported at its ends in the embossments 68, the handle portion will rest against the cradle portion 46 of the stand 44, but upon closing the container the embossment 6| moves in under the handle portion and swings the handset unit slightly clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 5, so that when the container is closed and secured from opening no engagement of the stand 44 and the receiver and transmitter unit will occur and there will be no appreciable harmful displacement of the telephone handset within the container.

The two embodiments of the invention above described may be formed in one piece in any usual and well known manner into the shapes shown preferably by molding from cellulosic material, the details of which, for the sake of simplicity, has been omitted from the disclosure, since the method employed to mold the package forms no part 01' this invention and is not considered necessary to a full understanding thereof.

Various additional modifications and applications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and such modifications and applications as fall within the spirit of the invention are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

'l. A molded one piece enclosing container for a handset telephone comprising a receiver and transmitter unit and a stand, the container being formed of cellulosic material and comprising two hollow sections integrally united by an intermediate hinge portion adapted when brought together to form an enclosed substantially rectangular container with a single compartment, each section having a substantially right triangular cross-section the sections when moved apart being open across their tops, the bottom and side walls of one of the sections having a plurality of spaced hollow reentrant portions, the portions in the bottom wall providing contact areas for maintaining the telephone stand in a predetermined position thereon and the portion in the side wall providing a contact area effective for maintaining the receiver and transmitter unit in a predetermined position thereon out of contact with the stand, the side wall of the other section having a plurality of spaced hollow reentrant portions disposed to engage areas of the receiver and transmitter unit when the sections are brought together.

2. A molded one-piece pulp packaging container comprising hollow sections united by an intermediate grooved flexible hinge portion integral with the sections adapted when brought together to form an enclosed container having a single compartment, and cooperating hollow re- 5 entrant portions on the walls of said sections for fixing in spaced relation irregularly shaped articles to be packed in the container, one of said walls having a reentrant portion efiective for supporting one of the articles out of contact with v 1" another article, another of said walls having a reentrant portion effective when the sections are brought together in closed relation to pressingly engage the article supported on the reentrant portion and prevent its engagement with the 15 other article in all positions of the closed container.

3. A molded one-piece pulp packaging container comprising hollow sections united by an 20 intermediate grooved flexible hinge portion integral with the sections adapted when brought together to form an enclosed container having a single compartment, and cooperating hollow reentrant portions on the walls of said container for fixing in spaced relation irregularly shaped articles to be packed in the container, one of said walls having a plurality of spaced reentrant portions effective for supporting opposite ends of one of the articles, another of said walls having a reentrant portion effective when the sections are brought together in closed relation to move in under an intermediate portion of the article supported at each end on said spaced reentrant portions and which is resting upon the other article and swing it out of engagement therewith and thereafter maintain it in all positions of the closed container.

STANLEY PRICE.

EDWARD C. SLOAN. 

